Catriona Chrystall's posterous

 

Book on Hold

Just to let you all know I have put the book on hold for about a month.  I am finding I haven't got the time with me teaching fulltime, keeping up with my admin, and making appointments (new secretary for immediate start and teacher for 2011).

Please check out my posts

http://catsictcapers.posterous.com/where-did-the-weekend-go  &

http://catsictcapers.posterous.com/i-had-an-epiphany

 

Another posterous
Hi everyone,

This is my first post in awhile as I set this posterous up specifically for the 100 hour challenge.  Of course, with the end of the term comes a great deal of work (especially meetings) and my challenge has had to take a bit of a break.  Boo Hoo.

Mind you my challenge is not really one I can blog too much about at this stage as I don't want anyone to steal my ideas (not that I think any of you would - but it makes me feel important thinking someone might).

However, my ICT learning has definitely not stopped and so I have decided to start another blog.  Entries to this should be a lot more regular.  Please subscribe to my new blog which is http://catsictcapers.posterous..com .  I promise I will post on your blogs more regularly too. 

 

The real test
I finally plucked up the courage to show the first section of my book to my class of 5-7 year olds.  Because I wanted to know if I was writing it at the Green level I got children who are reading at that level to read part of the section to the class.  The children read fluently and if one child said the wrong word another child reading at the Green level said the correct word.
This was amazing as I hadn't thought too much about pictures and not all the pictures matched very well.
We had a lot of discussion around the contents, which are top secret at present (SORRY), but I think I need to check out the children's comprehension a little more.
It was quite scary putting my work out there for comments and opening myself up but isn't this what we expect of our children/students many times throughout the day?
Another teacher also suggested I could test my book on a couple of children in her class (9-13 year olds) who struggle with reading.  I hadn't even thought of that but will give it a go when I have the book more together.
Todays experience has meant I will be working hard over the weekend to get the rest of the sections completed (with pictures) so on Monday my class can use the contents page to pick the section they want to read rather than the section I direct them too.
I need to make sure the experiment is a good one though and I also need to consider what I want to have on the website.  I'm definitely not ready to tackle that challenge yet but want to have ideas to share with the children.

 

Update on the book
Most of the sections have been written now but I am not totally happy with it.  This week will see some editing taking place.  I might even print some of the pages out and try this with my class to see who can read it.  However, I haven't got any illustrations organised so maybe I had better link some as I am aiming at the green level.
I may also get in contact again with some publishers around my ideas as the book is definitely sitting as one of a trio (states of matter - solids, liquids and gases).  I want to know if I should send off the first book for feedback before starting on the other books or not.  Probably a good idea as if I am on the wrong track this would save me some time.
Just read through the information from one publisher again today and they said that acceptance or rejection is usually known within 12 weeks.  As this challenge is 100 hours over 3 months I had better get onto it. 
Mind you, I am enjoying this challenge so much I can see it lasting for more than 3 months.  I suspect this may have been part of setting the challenge all along. 
 

twitter address
My twitter address is https://twitter.com/catchrystall 

Trying to set up autopost for posterous to link to twitter but taking too long.  Have done it now. 
Joining twitter and checking out tweets has meant no time for my book tonight.  Oh well, still learning something new.
 

Liquids

The outline of the book is developing.  It is amazing how much thinking goes into writing such a little book.  I'd never be able to write a novel. 

After looking at all the options and changing my mind, really going off on little tangents, I am now back to my original thinking.  I really want the book to have the features of a non-fiction book that my class love . . . contents and index page (so they don't have to read the book from start to finish but can jump around in any order).

I have six sections and think that each section will probably be a two page spread.

I have also reconnected with a science resources website that my brother-in-law is involved with. http://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/   It is a great resource and links fully to the New Zealand curriculum.

 

Posting / Blogging - I am hooked

I am getting a lot of satisfaction out of posting on my personal blog, our class blog and other blogs.  Thanks Tracey for the link to the Connected Series.  I think Connecteds are great but my target audience is younger than this.  However, working with my class this year we have had more higher order thinking and indepth discussions around non-fiction texts than fiction texts. 

Well I got myself all organised with texts and the easi-speak to get my thoughts organised tonight and then I went and left everything at school.  I am either getting old and forgetful or I am working too hard. :)

Back to blogging.  My class is really interested in blogging and love getting comments on our posts.  We are starting to put comments on other classes posts.  Up until this week we only posted on blogs of classes we knew but this week we are spreading our wings.  We are posting on other September Student Challenge class blogs. 

It is opening the children's world up.  When the children see something they like the comments just keep coming.  I am finding it a non-threatening way to model good oral and written language.  The children are also becoming more involved in how our blog is set out and what we should include in it.  Blogging is giving a purpose for writing and I look forward to seeing it filter into children's individual writing.

 

Writing habits of successful authors I have known by Alan Rinzler

Checking out other posterous blogs I came across Alan Rinz.ler's blog http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2008/08/20/writing-habits-of-successful-autho... and have decided to try #5 out but instead of using a tape recorder I thought I'd have a go with the Easi-Speak we have on loan from our RTLB. 

 

 

Back on Track

Well, lots of thinking over the last week but very little action and next to no postings. 

Today I started writing a book, decided to go with states of matter.  Can be quite limiting when writing for a junior reader and it is only my first draft.  I don't want to dumb down the science and I want to introduce scientific language that is age appropriate. 

I checked out a few websites but wasn't thrilled with what I had to find.  I need to develop my own personal voice rather than regurgitate someone else. 

I am considering some kind of find it (I spy) addition to the book.  Not sold on this though. 

I think I may need to write a little book about either solids, liquids or gases rather than one that includes all three.  Possibly write one for each state of matter and then have a book that draws them altogether.

I shall ponder this overnight.

 

And Reality Sets In

Well the plan for this week had been research but the reality was work.  It was a week full of afterschool meetings, even though I forgot one (first time that has happened).  I am amazed at how disappointed I am about missing out on my hour a day as I had only officially started last weekend.  Just shows how important it is to give yourself that time.

I am determined to keep to my hour each day this week.  I will also post each day on my posterous and at least one other posterous too.

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